General Sports 8-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: October 8, 2026, 6:01 PM ET
Basketball
Kentucky State center Aminata Seck was released on bond after two months in ICE custody, a case that has drawn attention across the college women's game. Meanwhile, the Fever suffered yet another early playoff exit despite a dominant offense and Caitlin Clark's return, raising questions about the franchise's direction. The preseason top 25 has Florida at No. 1 whether or not Denzel Aberdeen can play, with several contenders laid out in best-case and worst-case scenarios. Breanna Stewart said officials told her Liberty did not have a reset timeout in overtime, a claim the refs dispute.
Baseball
The Dodgers-Brewers NLCS rematch is set, and ESPN has mapped how each team can reach the World Series.
Rugby
Richie Murphy made seven changes for Ulster's United Rugby Championship clash against Munster, with Beirne returning to the Munster side. At Gloucester, Charlie Atkinson reflected on his rise after three professional clubs and plenty of setbacks, crediting Farrell's arrival for the club's climb to the top of the league.
Cricket
Pat Cummins confirmed he has spoken to Usman Khawaja about his former team-mate's autobiography and says he is not worried about what it may reveal.
College Football
Almost every Big Ten team is seeking a statement win this weekend, as the Game Day Kickoff previews Nebraska, Indiana, UCLA and Oregon, while a College Football Playoff preview looks ahead to Georgia-Alabama. A surprise player tops ESPN's rankings of the 25 best freshmen after five weeks, and Nick Saban's influence is traced through 45 head coaches in a piece on his coaching tree. Iowa's Van Hayden fan group has turned a joke into a campus favorite. Nebraska is also selling off stadium urinal troughs from its $600M renovation.
Boxing
ESPN's experts weighed in on whether Fury will knock out Joshua, while asking whether Dubois-Wardley 2 will be a classic.
Fantasy Football
Matt Bowen's week 5 stock watch highlights four players who deserve more attention and four trending downward.
Motorsport
The inaugural Rally Scotland round of the World Rally Championship has been confirmed for 30 September to 3 October.
WWE
A fan-friendly guide to Money in the Bank breaks down the ladder matches, title pictures and storylines ahead of the event.